Well hello everyone I'm hoping that one of you might have some advice for exercises for an apple shaped gal. You see after going belly dancing for the first time this weekeend I was horrified at how flat my hips look, and how far my stomache bulged. while I know nothing can get rid of that fat off my tummy except diet and exercise I want to know if there's anything I can do for my hips. Now I know how strangely ironic this will sound to some of you. Please don't kill me, but is there any way to "bulk up" the hips. Any specific exercises I can do to strengthen my hips and get soem actualy shape into them.
I know were prettu much stuck with the body shape were born with but any little imrpovement would count. Thanks you guys.

Squats, lunges, plies and leg kick backs

yes, anything that works the glutes (butt), quariceps (front of thigh), and the hamstrings (back of thigh) will help. Do you go to a gym? If so do the abductor/adductor (I forget which it is). It's the one that you push out and it works your hips and butt. The latest issue of Fitness Rx magazine is the thighs, butt, and ab addition which may help you out. There's also a book called the Body Sculpting Bible for Women: Legs and Butt which demonstrates a ton of exercises.

By the way, I LOVE bellydance! Are you taking a class? Or DVD?

It'd be easier for us to help you if we knew how much you weighed.
You've got to remember that fat is fat. We all have our special deposits somewhere and it all goes away. However our body structures and musculature mean we are one shape or another.
But you should be able to round-up your tuckus. Can you find an old copy of Buns of Steel? That's hard work!

It's very good and well to work out your legs but you must workout your upper body, chest, back and shoulders... When you widen your back and shoulders your waist will look smaller and then your hips will look a bit wider than your waist...This will give you an hourglass figure. So you need a good total body weight routine....

An hour of cardio a day will help with your tummy. I have the same problem.

Kathy

I just wanted to add that INTENSE cardio and CLEAN eating are a must too to lose fat/weight anywhere....

Sorry, it took me so long to answer everyone back. Well Stacy i just started a class, it was my first time. I hope to be going back this saturday, though it's kind of crazy. It's amazing workout. I was surprised at what parts of my body got sore.

I know what your saying Kathy. I've become rather stationary since I got my car two years ago. I used to love walking I still do. The weather lately sucks though. I bought leslie sanson "walk away the pounds" and like it. I'm just trying to figure out how I'm going to fit it in my day.

Ilene I'm kind of hesitant about your suggestion. My shoulders tend to be wide anyway. It seems to add more to my top heaviness.
Thank you every body for your suggestions. I'm going to try to incorporate some of them into a routine and then keep track the inches around my waist and hips. I just have to find a good website that explains how to do lunges and squats. I tried to do sometoday and found I was putting some strain in my lower back. I'm definitely doing it wrong! Any one have any good websites with clear explainations my exercise knowledge is mroe limited then i thought it was.

Try Krista's www.stumptutous.com She has a really good description of how to do them.

To fit going to the gym into my day I'll be getting up 2 hours earlier this year when dh returns to work, which is Monday. Got to do something to fit everything in.

Kathy